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Answer the following 3 questions in English based on your own knowledge.
1. What is the origin of the holiday known as Easter? Catholics originated the holiday
Easter, and is the celebration of the uprising of Christ.
2. How do some people here in the U.S celebrate Easter? (secular and religious)
People buy and eat candy on Easter and others go to church.
3. What do you know about how it is celebrated in Spain? Many people fast and go to
church.
Now answer these specific questions by reading at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semana_Santa_en_Sevilla
Type your answers in a different color.
4. What does Semana Santa mean? Holy Week
5. When is it? The week leading up to Easter.
6. Where are the processions going and why? They go to the Cathedral because they
want to express their religious beliefs.
7. What are brotherhoods and what is their purpose? These are associations that are
organized to perform their acts of religion publicly. They do self-regulated religious
activities and community work.
8. What happens during Semana Santa? Many people gather and participate in
religious activities in the community.
9. Who are Nazarenos and how are they dressed? One of the brotherhoods that dress
wearing pointy hoods and specific colors.
10. What is at the beginning of the processions? In the middle? A cross is carried at the
beginning and a marching of the brotherhoods is in the middle.
11. What is a Paso? An image set at the top of a moving float of wood.

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12. What are 3 possible pasos? How old are some of them? Three of them include the
Passion, Christ, and finally the Virgin Mary. Some of them are over 500 years old.
13. Who are costaleros and what do they do? They are a team of men that lift, move,
and lower the paso.
14. What is the traditional dress of women for this? for men? Women wear a traditional
suit that includes lace mantle a black dress, and black shoes. Men wear a dark
suit, black tie, and black shoes.
15. How do people behave as the processions go past? They behave very quietly and
respectfully.
Look at the various photographs/slide shows at these 2 sites to see more:
http://semanasantaonline.com/
http://gospain.about.com/od/semanasantaeaster/ss/semana_santa_3.htm
16. What is your impression and why? (3-4 thoughtful sentences with insight)
It seems like an enjoyable time for everyone as everything is handcrafted and beautiful.
Certain activities remind me of a parade, but more religious with Christ as the subject of
the day. All of the people seem happy and are together like a big family. The crowd
attracted is very large.
Children and Easter
Read at this website, then answer the following questions.
http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/do/cascarones.html
17. What are cascarones? These are confetti filled eggs.
18. In which countries are they played with? They are
played with in Spain and parts of the U.S.
19. How are you to break them? You are to break them

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over their heads.
20. Why do you break them? Supposedly when the egg is broken over your head, you
are said to be “Showered with good fortune.”
¡Felices Pascuas!